The lazy close

Greetings!  My furnace is still running!  Days and days of more rain coming so Mark is planting the garden today, in the mud, before it turns to swamp.

 

Several of you asked over time about gluing the seam instead of hand sewing. My closing seams never look good, always a little open and thread is usually visible.  Pushing the needle through linen and backing is also hard on my arthritis, so glue to the rescue.  Many posts ago I told of the brand I always used, but no more.  I switched to Aleene's Tacky and find it superior in many ways.

 

Since I fuse interfacing, it is easy to fold over and finger crease the edge to the inside, and once measured correctly (with the Dritz sewing gauge Sherry, found on the notions wall), I fold and press the backing too so it is creased and ready to close. 

 

Most times I pull the backing fabric over the fill because it gets in the way of the glue.  Using an artist brush or any narrow applicator, apply the glue directly beneath the crease on the back's fabric.  Push the overlap/fill down inside so the creases line up, use the little clips to hold. 

The clear side has more grippers which indent the fabric so I use the red side on the linen, the very very edge. 

Only takes a few minutes, remove, and then push the fabrics toward the seam to release any outside fabric that may be caught in the glue.  Done.  Any missed spots or corners?  Add a tiny bit with a toothpick and clip.

 

Perfectly neat seam with no gaps or wonky threads.  The piece is already steamed lightly to create the density, and I will add a little more fill for the bottom corners before closing,

then use a long and sturdy needle to push it in place from the back.  Just stick it in at an angle and bend back to move the fill.

 

That's the way of the lazy stitcher.

 

 

I have all Vista Bubble Gum petunias but also purchased one in the new brighter pink.  It also kind of glows at dusk.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Have a good day!

 

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The chart

if anyone would like to stitch.  Approximately 2 1/2" x 3 1/2" on 35 count. 

 

 

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Miniature #2

Hello people.  Just finished the second tiny and I think they are still too large for my feather tree.  But stinkin' cute regardless.  The threads are dusty and muted and even though different from the first mini, they look the same.  Here they are together.

 

I used cotton candle wick braid for their hangers after lightly washing the package and dipping in my tan dye. 

 

I will post the chart maybe tomorrow.  Once again, I am feeling like stopping it all including the blog.  This minute, I am saturated in flash sweat and they are starting to get to me again.  The diet, being hungry, and not losing is adding to my bitchdom.  Yes, I have moved up a notch or two from crabass.   I gave it two additional weeks and nothing has changed so I am moving on to my own plan or low carb.  The WW Simply Filling plan that allows all meats, is a little deceiving.  Not all cuts of meat are allowed without points and everything needs to be looked up and counted.  Moving on.  A good plan for many, but not for me.  Yes you can have anything you want, but the rest of the day becomes very limited and that can be applied to any diet plan.

 

Be back with the chart in a day or so if anyone is interested in stitching it.

 

Have a good day.  My furnace is still running.

 

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Gold Star

I'm stitching the other ornament now but wanted to do something for Memorial Day next weekend.  It started out with the center, and since the miniature I'm working on has an alpha outline, decided to add it.  You can leave it off if you choose, stitch the blue center, or just the two stars on a very dark linen.  Full size is 51 w x 59 h, blue center is 33 w x 41 h.  Haven't stitched it yet, but the colors are simple.  One to print in color, and one in black and white.  Any problems or errors, please let me know, but you should be able to click on the photo and then right click to print.   Would love to see photos if any of you decide to stitch all or part.

 

As you know, Gold Star families are those that have lost a loved one in service to country.  Seems appropriate for Memorial Day.

 

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Counting

And it isn't adding up.  I was attempting to work the new mini sampler's colors on to a piece of raw Belfast.  Looked bigger than it should for 32 count.  So I measured.  It's marked Belfast 32 but it is not because my work came to 15 stitches per inch or 30 count.  Does it matter?  If it didn't, we wouldn't have the option of 28, 30, and 32 counts offered.  On a small piece even a half inch makes a difference so yes, to me, it does.  I took a piece of Tin Roof in 32 count for testing, and it was worse that the Belfast.  It's 28 count.

Looking at the 30 count, I can see it is tighter than the 32, which is really 28, so the 30 is probably correct.  Follow me?  But both the Belfast and Tin Roof 32 count pieces are not.  I wanted to use 35 to keep it very small but I have no unbleached or darker neutrals, and do not want to start messing with the dye jars.  I'll do a more thorough search through the mess for 35s.

When you are slumping along and not feeling the needle love, all it takes is a little bump in a road to make you ride away.  But I will try to keep the pedal to the metal.

 

I was hoping to have something worked out last night because today I have to spray the weeds and grass around Carole's house before the landscapers come.  All that trigger work will most likely make the finger worse, but if I eat a Breyer's low carb fudge bar, I will have a stick to tape on for support.  A damn good means to an end don't 'ya think?

 

Have a good day folks.

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That damn finger

Greetings folks.  Hope all is well with you and yours.

The condition I have on all my finger's first joints is called Heberden's Nodes.  I don't know the criterion for removal, but immobility and pain sound like good ones to me.

 

Not stitching, but thinking about more miniatures for the feather tree. 

As soon as I decide on colors...

 

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